Although a long known and well recognized crime, auto-theft has taken even greater significance in recent years as the level of theft has exploded and the corresponding value of the stolen property has increased in proportion. Rising concern over this crime is paramount due to the increasing violence that often accompanies the theft and the tremendous burden that the volume of theft imposes on society via increased insurance premiums.
Simply stated, the typical theft of an automobile takes less than 5-7 minutes and involves the rapid disablement of the locked steering column and the hot wiring of the ignition system. This permits the movement of the vehicle under its own power from its parked location (usually public) to a distant and private location for disassembly (known as a "chop shop"). The key to the successful completion of this crime requires two elements--the ability to start the car in a short amount of time and the ability to drive the car to a private location.
Many efforts have been made to interfere with the theft of a motor vehicle, ranging from the simple use of steel locking mechanisms place on the steering column to exotic electronic tracking systems and alarms. For the most part, these prior efforts have been largely fruitless as the increasing value of the vehicle has propelled the thieves into actions equally as tricky as the mechanism used to preclude theft. Sophisticated alarm systems are routinely disarmed by the knowledgeable disablement of power sources. Tracking systems are shielded prior to departure and steel barriers are treated with liquid nitrogen rendering the steel brittle and susceptible to shattering. In each instance, the thief is able to start and move the vehicle within minutes--thus lowering his/her exposure to capture. Accordingly, a significant need has remained largely unmet and vehicles remain vulnerable to theft.